Bonds Not To Be Broken
by darkmysticflame
Summary: Wolverine's bond with Rogue overcomes extreme obstactles
1. In The Mind Of A Wolverine

1 ****Title: Bonds not to be broken   
****Author: Dannette   
****Rating: PG-14   
****Disclaimer: I do not own Rogue, Wolverine or any of the other X-Men characters, they belong to Fox.   
****Couple:_Marie/Rogue_ and _Logan/Wolverine_   
****Summary:Wolverine's bond with Rogue overcomes big obstacles   


  


*** 

  
  


**WOLVERINE'S POINT OF VIEW:**   


I am alone. 

Completely and utterly alone. 

That's me ... Wolverine, man who used to be known as Logan, a person who can't remember anything before some bastards placed these claws in his body, and let's not forget the metal skull, that has to be the best part of the deal. 

I live my life alone, and I like it that way. I like the isolation, I like putting up this wall and letting no one in, I like only being responsible for me ... I can't stand human contact. Why do people or even mutants themselves have the need or urge to touch one another so damn much, it just seems useless to me. I never liked touching, but the only thing I can remember about touching is the sleazy cage fighting fanatic women groping me on my way out of the cage after I won a match. I even growled at that sort of contact, but all the affectionate shit Scott pulls with Jean is just something I don't need and don't want. Isolation is better, at least when you're isolated you don't have to feel, you don't have to feel the pain of losing someone or knowing that you let that person down. I don't need that sort of crap on my mind, I don't need that sort of damn thing on my shoulders, I don't need to someone to look after. It's too much work, why should I care about anyone but myself? I don't ... well I didn't. I didn't care about anything or anybody but myself and winning those cage fights, drinking and smoking those expensive cigars that I love ... but things changed. 

She looked too ... country ... to be in a place like where the cage matches were or are, or whatever. I remember seeing Rogue for the first time, she looked cautious, scared; She wore that cloak and scarf like she was trying her best to keep herself hidden from the outside world, she caught my eye, but that was all, who cares? She was probably just some little rich girl that decided to slum it until her daddy and mommy came and saved her and smothered her with kisses and hugs. She kept staring at me, with those big brown eyes, I just would glance at her before taking a puff of my cigar and taking a drink of my beer --- god only if I knew that things would change completely that night ... I would have never went to fight that night. 

Some stupid asshole I beat was a sore loser and figured that I was a mutant and that was why I won, true but still, dumb ass threw a fit and then he went to leave but came back to stab me in the back, only reason I managed to get my claws out before his knife could be in my back was because the quiet, timid girl with the cloak on screamed like there was no tomorrow, telling me to watch out. To make a long story short, I got kicked out of the club/bar because I let my claws out, which hurts like hell every time, and obviously known to the humans, us mutants are bad and that was why he kicked me out. I had gotten in my car and sped out of there but later I found out the cloaked girl in the bar had sneaked into my trailer, sneaky little thing. At first I was just going to leave her at the side of the road, who gave a shit? I sure didn't, I didn't even know the girl for god sakes ... 

But in the end I let her come with me, it was stupid really. Why did I do it? The Wolverine doesn't care about people, but I guess there was always something about Rogue that fascinated me, there was always a glow to her. Poor thing she is though. 

Rogue, real name Marie, can't touch anybody, believe me I speak the truth. Rogue's skin is like poison, if a human touches it you can kiss your life goodbye ... see ya ... send me a postcard from the underworld please! But if a mutant was to touch her skin, she would absorb their powers and then kill them. Sweet deal huh? Yep that was me ... The Wolverine, being sarcastic. It's a curse, I feel sorry for her, the poor girl is more isolated then me and she's not isolated by choice. She always wears a cloak and gloves, protects her and everybody else from touching her, I feel for her ... never to be able to touch someone, very sad. 

But I must be special or just a glutton from pain, because I have touched Rogue twice ... add both of the times we've touched, then it would amount to 58 seconds of touching Rogue ... it's not bad, up until the part where I'm getting my life source sucked out of my own body, never good I tell you. But yeah, I've touched Rogue two times ... once by her choice, another by my choice. 

The first time, was her choice. I had been having a nightmare and I'm not talking about one of the petty ones, no this sort of nightmare was horrible; the most awful thing about the nightmare was that everything in the nightmare was true. It was one of those nightmares that looked into your past, ya know? By the way, the past is something I can not remember. I can't remember anything before I was turned into Wolverine. Anyways, I had been having a nightmare and I guess she (Rogue) was all concerned for me and she was trying to wake me up, hovering over me, whispering my name in that sweet southern voice of hers. By the way, now everybody knows not to hover over me when I'm sleeping, although no one else but Rogue ever would; I had woke up with a startle and before I thought, I took my claws out and lunged forward and that was when I heard the distinct sound of flesh ripping. I stared at Rogue, my eyes widening when I realized what I had done; I had stabbed her. I just stared and I saw her flexing her hands, trying her best not to touch me, and all I could do was scream for help, damnit someone help us! She's dying! Oh god no! My mind raced but then everything stopped when she brought up her hand to touch my face and I wanted to scream out no, but I knew what she was doing, although at the time I didn't even know she could absorb power, but at that moment where she touched my face; I knew. I felt myself shrivel up and I could feel the veins in my face and hands become more visible and before I thought I was dead, she let go of me and I crumpled to the floor. She could have killed me if she had held on longer; but she knew when to let go; I could have killed her because I hadn't thought, I should have thought damnit. I felt so angered with myself, poor lil' thing, she had only been concerned about my welfare and all and I had almost killed her; I was so disappointed in myself and I had no idea why. 

The second time, was by my choice. I'll remember this moment for the rest of my life, it's planted into my memory and no one will be able to take that away from me. Magneto had captured Rogue from the train; We hadn't been expecting him, Rogue had ran away because a boy at school told her the professor was furious with her when she absorbed my power to save herself. I went to the station despite what Visor boy (Cyclops or Scott), Wheels (Professor X or Professor Charles Xavier), and Storm (Ororo Munroe) told me to do. That was the day I promised Rogue I would take care of her. Magento had showed up and at first I thought he wanted me, but then it clicked, he wanted Rogue and I was unable to stop him. Magneto was going to kill Rogue, we all fought the brotherhood to reach Rogue, at the end me and Rogue were on top of the statue of liberty, you know on the torch? She had two streaks of white in her hair from what the machine had done to her, I had held her limp body in my arms and I could feel my heart breaking. Damnit no! She couldn't die on me. I tried shaking her, I even lightly pushed her face, touched her face, I had on my black leather gloves so I couldn't be hurt, but she wouldn't move. That was when I realized what I had to do, to save Rogue I had to touch her, I had to let her drain me, and I would gladly do that for her. I took off my gloves and put my hand on Rogue's face mentally screaming for Rogue to drain me but nothing happened; I cried, I remember that more clearer then anything else that night, I remembering crying because I felt the emotion that I was never going to see Rogue again and it killed my heart. I held her close to me and I was about to let go when I felt it happening, I felt my life source being pulled away from me, I felt myself shrivel up and I could feel my veins become visible and I could feel Rogue's face against my own. I could feel every last of my life being pulled from me and the thing was that I didn't care, damnit if it saved Rogue, if me dying saved Rogue, then so be it, just let her live. I promised to protect her and I wanted to fulfill that promise, and if dying saved Rogue, then I knew at least if I died, I would never be letting her down. I think Rogue still doesn't know why, she knows that I saved her and that it was because of a promise, but that night I was willing to put up everything for a 17 year old girl I was in love with, I was in love with her and I knew it was wrong, so I denied it. 

I lived, obviously; Was in a coma for three whole days, Jean told me. Jean told me the day I left that I saved Rogue, that Rogue would be alright, that she just had a few of my interesting traits. I had felt relieved that Rogue was alive, I had done one good thing in my life ... I had saved the kid. The Jean told me that Rogue was taken with me; I was shocked, and happy ... but then I realized I wasn't supposed to be happy about that, if Scott or even Storm found out about my affections towards the kid, they would have my head on a silver platter so I pushed my heart away and told Jean that she could tell Rogue that my heart belonged to another. Obviously Jean had bought it, because she had gotten all flustered ... truth be told, I couldn't love Jean. Sure the red hair is ... wow ... hot, completely, but I wouldn't be able to stand Jean, plus she's disgustingly in love with Scott aka Scooter ... yes another nickname for my favorite X-Man. I loved Rogue, but I couldn't love her ... she's 17 and god knows how old I am, it's wrong and I had to realize that, I couldn't be in love with sweet, beautiful ... Rogue ... Marie. So I ran, I took the excuse that I was going up north to find out about my past, but I was running ... and Rogue knew it and she called me on it, but of course I denied it, I even gave her my dog tags, telling her I would be back for them, should have said I would be back for her. 

So I left. I've been everywhere and nothing, nobody or nowhere has been able to help me find _any _answers, all it has done was give me more questions. Nowhere felt like home, nobody felt like home, I wanted Rogue, I wanted her to touch me even though I knew it could kill me, I was that crazy ... I would touch her just to be able to do it and I didn't care that it could kill me. I had to stay away, because being even in the same city as Rogue made me want to see her, I had to rid myself of the addiction I had to her. Rogue was like some sort of addiction, I needed her so much, I needed her more then anything else I had ever needed in my whole existence. Even the damn cagefights weren't doing it for me, because everytime I fought in the cage I half expected to see Rogue standing in front of the cage with a scared look on her face while clutching onto her cloak, it was things like that got me distracted which leaded to getting my ass kicked. She was always on my mind, I tried to get her off my mind by paying attention to other women, but all I could see in all the women, was that they were everything that Rogue wasn't ... and that wasn't a good thing. 

I went to city to city, trying to find answers ... trying to find out about my past but also trying to escape my present, a present I shared with a girl with two white streaks in her hair, a girl with the chocolate brown eyes, a girl I know was/is everything to me. I wanted to escape my feelings, I wanted to escape my heart, knowing if I ever let myself feel, I would be holding that girl until the moment I drew my last breath, and I wouldn't care. So I stayed away, I couldn't let myself fall in love, I couldn't give myself to one girl and expect everybody to understand ... she was just a kid, and I was the god knows how old man who was in love with her. 

So I stayed away, probably breaking that already fragile heart of hers, I stayed away and probably hurt her, but by staying away, I saved myself and Rogue, from us, from each other. I'd do anything for her, even breaking her heart, I promised her that night on the train that I would take care of her ... and I may be an ass, or a jerk ... but I am a man of my word. 

I feel Rogue at night, when I'm sleeping I can close my eyes and see her. I can see her and she's more beautiful then I last remembered and I desperately want to reach out and touch her, but I don't, even though I know it's just a image in my head and there is no way I could be hurt by it ... I rather just let the beauty of the image live, instead of ruining it by touching it. 

I can hear her whimpers in my head as she has a nightmare, I flinch everytime I hear it. I know she is having nightmares of my past, of what those bastards did to me, and I feel hatred towards me for her having to have those nightmares. I'm inside her head, ever since the day she touched me I've been inside her head and now I'm still in there. 58 seconds of touching and I'll be inside that precious head of hers until god knows when. I want to help her, I want to hold her against me, I want to touch that clothed cloak of her, even though it's not her skin, I would be satisfied in just knowing that she is near me and that if she was to have a nightmare I could be the one hovering over her to make sure she is okay. 58 seconds touching Rogue and she'll forever feel my pain, it's not fair ... my pain has always been just my pain, I never had to share it with anybody because I never knew anybody who would put themselves in the position to feel my pain ... no one cared enough to bother feeling my pain, but the girl waltzed into my life and immediately started sharing my pain with me. My pain is like poison, it'll eventually kill you and she has that sort of pain embedded deep within her head and I just want to make it stop. I want to be able to erase my damn pain away from her body, but I can't even dull the pain when I'm not even near her, so I just listen to the whimpers and I lay in my bed thinking of ways to hate myself even more. Rogue's not the only one that has someone stuck in her head ... ever since the night on top of the statue of liberty I have had Rogue in my head and I can't get her out of my head and thoughts of her tend to happen at the worst times. I can hear when she is in pain and it never fails how hard it hits me ... the first few seconds I always feel like I'm drowning --- drowning in Rogue's pain and I can't breathe but then I can feel my breath come back but the pain of her pain never goes away --- not even hours after her presence has left my head, and her image, it just keeps haunting me at night, showing me what I left behind. 

What I left behind ... what did I care? So I left some isolated girl behind in a great mansion like school ... the girl should be happy, I should be happy, but I always have this feeling located in the back of my head, that if I asked Rogue to leave with me that day I left, that she would have left with me. I have the feeling that she would have gave up everything she had in that school to go on the road with me and at nights I scream at myself for not asking her to go with me. I should have asked her, I should have begged her to come with me, but with one look at Rogue, and I lost all ability to speak. All I could do was take my dog tags off and hand them to her and leave, praying ... no hoping, that she would be okay without me ... or vice versa. 

I still don't know about that one though --- am I okay without her? That seems to be the question of the year ... I didn't think she was that *important* to me until I was gone from the academy, it just hit me. Rogue was everything to me, still is, she just transformed into that one day and sadly enough I have no idea when she turned into that for me. It just happened, one day just having me in my life wasn't enough, one day I wanted more ... I wanted someone who saw the beast me in and wasn't afraid of it, I wanted a person wouldn't be confused if I ever decided to talk about my dreams. I wanted Rogue, I wanted the one person I could never have. 

That's why I can't go back, because I can't handle seeing the person I want everyday and knowing ... just knowing I can't have her. It would be torture, and how can I be everything to Rogue, when I'm nothing to myself? I've been searching my whole life for answers to who I am, or was, and that was all that mattered to me ... until the day I allowed some shy girl from Mississippi to ride in the front seat with me; She wiggled her way into my life and now suddenly searching for my past isn't all I feel like I need to do anymore. There are days on the road when I'm trying to find out my past, I feel as if I need to go to the store to get Rogue a new pair of gloves ... don't ask me where that comes from, it just pops up in my head. I've never bought Rogue a pair of gloves, but sometimes it's like I feel as if I need to. Again, don't ask me. There are nights when I lay in my hotel bed and I think about Rogue, I'll reach up to touch my dog tags but all I feel is my skin, because I gave the dog tags to Rogue, and I'll sigh. That girl had everything of me, she had the only thing that linked me to my past and all I had of her was the things I saw when I closed my eyes. I can only blame that on myself, I mean if I hadn't left, I could have more of Rogue ... more memories I mean. 

But I can't go back. 

I just can't.   



	2. Returning Enemies

bonds2 ****Title:Bonds not to be broken   
****Author: Dannette   
****Rating:PG-14   
****Disclaimer: I do not own Rogue, Wolverine or any of the other X-Men characters, they belong to Fox.   
****Couple:_Marie/Rogue_ and _Logan/Wolverine_   
****Summary:Wolverine's bond with Rogue overcomes big obstacles.

***

**NOTES -******

* means Wolverine speaking to Rogue in her mind   
' means Rogue speaking back 

*** 

  


Long auburn hair with two shocking white streaks, chocolate brown eyes, young features. That was what the girl looked like, the girl that Magneto had called the martyr --- the girl's name was Rogue; Actually it was Marie, but everyone called her Rogue. Rogue was a special kind of girl, that much she knew ... Rogue was different from all the other mutants, Rogue understood what she was going through, unlike everybody else, even Magneto, her dear mentor, had no idea how she felt. 

She was the sort of kid everybody made fun of, because of her scaly blue skin; Everyone was afraid of her, even the mutants made fun of her ... she never had friends, she was always alone, that was until Magento --- Erik, had taken her in. Erik had named her Mystique, the name Mystique was so much more unique and mysterious then her regular name ... Raven. 

Mystique continued to hide behind the tree as she watched Rogue talk with two people --- one was a girl, the girl wore a long, bright yellow jacket; Jubilee was the girl's name, along with the long yellow jacket she wore a pair of old sunglasses on top of her black hair. The other person Rogue was talking to was a young man, he had some sort of stick with him, and his eyes were a bright color red ... Remy LeBouf was his name if Mystique remembered correctly, everyone called the young man Gambit. Mystique liked watching Rogue, watching Rogue was interesting ... Rogue was interesting. Mystique's yellow eyes narrowed as she watched Rogue mess with a scrap of metal that was around her neck --- _the dog tags, _Mystique reminded herself. 

The dog tags Rogue wore around her neck religiously was given to her by Wolverine. The same man that had stabbed Mystique and left her for dead; That was why Mystique was here. At first Mystique had gone by the academy to watch the girl, why watch the girl? Because the girl --- Rogue --- was the link to Wolverine. Get Rogue, and Mystique would have Wolverine --- Mystique wanted Wolverine, she wanted to kill him for what he did ... first he left her for dead, and then he injured Sabretooth and then the worst thing Wolverine had done was save the girl, that one action got her mentor --- Erik --- sent to that damn plastic prison. Mystique wanted to kill Wolverine, but once Mystique started watching Rogue, she got addicted. Rogue was beautiful, she had such young features, but Rogue's brown eyes showed an old soul --- a old, lost soul. Rogue was lost ... lost without ... 

_Wolverine, _Mystique said to herself in disgust as she watched Rogue continue to touch the dog tags as if they were the most precious things to her in the whole entire world. Mystique didn't understand why Rogue was so --- sad, over such a hard and cynical beast as Wolverine. Wolverine didn't care about anybody but himself, he had promised to take care of Rogue and then he had left --- Mystique had no doubt in her head when she knew that Wolverine was a calice sort of person, he cared about no one. But Rogue had fooled herself into believe that Wolverine cared about her just because Wolverine had saved her, given up his own life and then gave her his dog tags --- his only link to his past. Mystique sighed, Wolverine was no good for the girl --- what was good for the girl was the brotherhood. The brotherhood would be able to teach Rogue how to understand her mutation, _really _understand her mutation, Mystique would tell her the truth about her mutation, Mystique wouldn't tell Rogue the false crap Charles Xavier told her. 

Mystique watched the red head otherwise known as Dr. Jean Grey come out and beckon for Rogue to come in; Mystique closed her eyes, Rogue didn't belong here ... she belonged with the brotherhood and if it was the last thing Mystique did, she would get Rogue to become one of the brotherhood --- and if Rogue refused, then Mystique would do what she originally planned to do --- kill her.   


***** 

"Rogue, are you okay?" Jean asked softly, Jean's eyes twinkling with concern. Jean wasn't one to pry, but Jean had seen how lost Rogue was looking lately, and to think it all started the day Logan left. Jean had some sort of an idea what was bugging Rogue, and Jean would bet her life that Rogue's problem started with a L and ended with a N, but Jean wouldn't say that aloud of course. 

"I'm fine." Rogue replied quickly and a bit harshly. Rogue winced when she realized how she sounded, it wasn't her fault --- the Wolverine in her made her act mean and snappish sometimes; Ever since the day Rogue absorbed Wolverine, he has been inside her head, she had also taken on some of his more interesting traits as Jean had put it one day . 

"Are you really?" Jean said, narrowing her eyes. "Rogue, I know you miss Logan, and it's completely understandable. Considering the fact that it was Logan who saved you, and as we know about your mutation --- you don't just absorb a person's mutation, you absorb their memories, which must make this harder on you." Jean replied, smiling softly, trying to comfort Rogue. 

_*Who the hell does she think she is?* _Wolverine's voice echoed in Rogue's mind. *Just_ because she has some Ph.D. or whatnot she thinks she can assume what you're going through Rogue, she can't. I can. Don't let her assume Rogue.*_

Rogue shook her head at the voice of Wolverine, she hated when this happened. Wolverine was in her head, he was like her second conscience, and he always spoke when he pleased, incredibly like the real Wolverine. "Jean I appreciate --- " 

_*Tell her off.*_

Rogue shook her head again. "Jean, look I appreciate your concern and all but I really doubt you know how I feel. You have no idea how it feels to be isolated your whole life, you get to touch people everyday and I on the other hand --- if I touch someone, I can easily kill them. And the one person that cared about me the most is gone, and I have no idea where he is, and he's always in my head, and I can feel his pain, his fear, his anguish and I have his nightmares and I can even hear him! So like I said, I really doubt that you have one ounce of understanding, because you don't feel him every night, you don't feel his pain every night, hell you don't even care that's he's all alone, so if you'll excuse me." Rogue smiled small and walked away from Jean. 

_*That's my girl.* _Wolverine said in a hushed tone in Rogue's head. *_You did good 'kid.*_

Rogue sighed, ignoring Wolverine's voice, right now she didn't want to listen to anybody. Rogue hated the feeling of isolation in her body, although she had friends **IE: **Gambit and Jubilee, Rogue felt so lonely and it was mostly because Logan wasn't around. He was supposed to come back, but he hadn't ... it had been close to a year since the last time Rogue had seen Logan and every day he wasn't back Rogue came upon the conclusion that Logan wasn't coming back --- he didn't care about her. No one cared. 

_*I do.* _Wolverine's voice chimed in her head. *_Kid listen, I got things to take care of, but believe me I'll be back ... I promised to take care of you, and I am a man of my word. I just need to know about my past, I have to find out who I am.*_

Rogue sighed, she walked into the room she shared with Kitty and Jubilee; Rogue threw herself down on the bed as she absentmindedly messed with the dog tags that were around her neck. '_I hate you sometimes' _Rogue said in her mind. 

_*Why?*_

_'Because you left me.'_

_*Kid, I'm with you, a piece of me is around your neck.*_

_'I like Remy.'_

_*The cajun guy?*_

_'Yeah'_

_*You like him more then me?*_

_'Well you're not here'_

_*Not an excuse.*_

_'Shut up'_

_*Yeah, you definitely act like me sometimes.*_   


Rogue half-smiled, she buried her face in the soft pillow, blocking out Wolverine's voice. Right now she didn't feel like having a conversation with the Wolverine inside her --- _God, if anyone heard me talk like that ... _Rogue knew that if people found out she had been having conversations with Wolverine, the Wolverine that only existed in her head, they would think she was crazy. But she wasn't crazy, a part of Wolverine was in her head, she absorbed his memory and now he was in her head, just like Magneto was in her head. Magento along with her first boyfriend ever Cody was in her head ... she had three personalities in her head but only one of them actually had a conversation with her, only one of her personalities would actually stand up for her, even though he couldn't be heard. Rogue sighed, well at least in her mind, she had Logan with her --- but soon that wouldn't be enough.   


***** 

Mystique watched Rogue sit in the community room reading a book; _This is the perfect time to get her, _Mystique said to herself as she transformed into Gambit. Mystique fixed the shirt she was wearing before walking into the academy and up to Rogue. "Ah, good day chere." Mystique said as Gambit, a smile playing with his features. 

Rogue looked up. "Oh hey Remy, what's up?" Rogue asked, putting down her book. 

Gambit shrugged. "Not much, Remy was thinking you might want to go for a ride with him?" Gambit said in his usual third person sense. "It's a beautiful day out you know, Remy would be pleased to have you ride with him." Gambit replied, still smiling. 

Rogue pushed herself up. "Why not? It's not like I'm doing anything exciting here." Rogue said, she grabbed her coat. 

"Well let's go then mademoiselle." Gambit said, walking off. 

"Hey where are you two going?" Jubilee asked, running up to Rogue and Gambit. 

Rogue turned to Jubilee. "Remy wants me to take a ride with him." Rogue replied, smiling. 

"Can I come?" Jubilee asked, messing with her jacket. 

"No!" Gambit said quickly. "Remy wants to be alone with Marie." Gambit said, shooting Jubilee a look. 

"Oh fine." Jubilee pouted. "I'll just go hang out with Bobby, maybe talk him into freezing something, see you two later."   


Rogue watched Jubilee run off, Rogue smiled and followed Gambit out of the academy, Rogue stopped briefly when she felt a weird vibe being radiated off of Gambit. _'Logan, what's wrong?'_

_*Don't go*_

Before Rogue could reply to Wolverine's plea she felt herself being pulled into a car by Gambit. "Remy ... " 

Gambit got in the car, he started it and sped off. "So tell me chere, you miss Wolverine? Remy see it in your eyes, you look sad, very sad." Gambit replied. "Mademoiselle is too beautiful to be sad." Gambit said softly. 

Rogue smiled. "Thanks Remy. Yeah I miss Logan, I know he needs to find out who he is, I guess I just didn't expect him to be gone this long, you know?" Rogue replied, looking down at her black gloves. 

Gambit nodded. "Did you hear that Erik got out of prison? He escaped." Gambit replied, turning a corner. 

Rogue stared at Gambit oddly. "What did you call him?" Rogue asked. 

"Magneto." Gambit replied. 

"No you called him Erik, why would you call him Erik?" Rogue asked suspiciously. "Remy, stop the car, stop the car now." 

Gambit sighed. "Well chere I guess this is the end of our drive." Gambit stopped the car and transformed back into Mystique. "Hello dear child, I could never call Erik Magneto, it just doesn't sound right." Mystique replied, pulling something out. 

Rogue froze. "Mystique." 

Mystique nodded. "Yes, I guess your good friend Wolverine didn't kill me after all. Rogue I am going to give you a simple choice --- join the brotherhood. Erik can teach you how to control your mutation, Erik can show you the way. Charles doesn't understand that humans and mutants can _not _co-exist, it would be the end of us. They want to rid of us because we are different, they can not understand us, and what they can't understand they want to destroy." Mystique replied. 

Rogue pulled at the door handle. "I would never join the brotherhood." Rogue spat out. 

"Too bad." Mystique replied, before putting the needle that was in her hand in the back of Rogue's neck. "Too bad." 

Rogue whimpered when she felt the needle prick her at the back of the neck and a few seconds later Rogue was out.   


***** 

Scott paced back and forth. "So let's put together all the pieces. Jubilee told us Rogue left with Gambit, but then Gambit told us he's been with Bobby and Kitty all day, and we still have a missing Rogue." Scott said, mostly to himself as he continued pacing. 

Jean replied. "That's what we know so far. Storm, any thoughts?" Jean said turning to Storm. 

Storm thought for a second, before looking up. "Mystique." 

Scott nodded. "Oh, it makes sense now. We knew that Mystique was still alive, we were just waiting for her moment to attack us. It's been almost a year since the last time we saw her, I thought she had given up on getting us back." 

"She has Rogue." Jean finally said. "But why Rogue? I understand what Magneto wanted with her before, but that's over with, the machine isn't even together anymore. What could Magneto possibly want with Rogue?" Jean asked, looking at Scott. 

Storm sighed. "Logan. Mystique is using Rogue as bait to lure Logan to her, because she wants Logan." 

"But why?" Jean asked. 

"Because Logan left her for dead." Scott replied. "Mystique must want Logan for what he did before, and let's not forget that Logan saved Rogue, which sent Magneto to prison. This could be Mystique's way of avenging Magneto, Mystique thinks if she lures Logan in and destroys both Logan and Rogue, that she would be getting revenge for Magneto." Scott replied, shaking his head. 

"But we don't know where Logan is." Storm replied. 

"But Charles can use the cerebro and find him." Jean replied, looking at Scott closely. "Scott, it's the only way." 

Scott sighed. "What makes you think Logan would come back?" Scott asked; He stopped pacing and shrugged when he caught the outraged but surprised look Jean threw him. "What?" Scott said, not wanting to listen to the silent words Jean was saying. 

Storm shook her head. "Because he cares about Rogue. We've seen Logan's reaction when Magneto had her, Logan cares deeply for Rogue and he would definitely come back, if that is what it took to save Rogue. Scott, we don't know where Mystique would take Rogue, Wolverine might ... " Storm was cut off quickly by Scott. 

"Just because he has more toned senses then us? Then why don't we just get a dog?" Scott said, scowling. 

"Scott!" Jean said in a high-pitched voice. "Stop it!" 

"What?" Scott barked out. 

"Stop acting like a little baby." Jean said, shaking her head. "Even if Logan wasn't the right person to help us, he deserves to know what is going on. Logan and Rogue share some sort of connection and it would be wrong if we didn't tell Logan that Rogue has been taken by Mystique. You're just being insecure Scott, which you have no reason to be ... " Jean replied slowly. 

Scott shook his head. "Actually when you think about it, he has no right to know what is going on with Rogue. He left, he promised to take care of her, and then he left, and it's been almost a year since he called or wrote or anything and now you two think we should call him? What right does he have to know what is going on? I don't think we need Logan, he would just endanger the mission, we can do this on our own. We can track down Mystique and do this ourselves." Scott replied, he started pacing again. 

Storm sighed. "Scott, this is not a mission. Rogue is not just another student here, she is a friend." 

"Exactly why we should do this the right way and not Logan's way." Scott replied, nodding. 

Jean glared at Scott. "Maybe Logan's way is the right away." Jean replied, nodding at Storm. 

Scott shook his head. "Or maybe you just want to see Logan again."   


"Stop it!" Charles said, rolling into the room. "I refuse to let this team act this way. I've found where Logan is, he's in Laughlin City. Storm, Scott I want you two to get your gear on and take the jet to Laughlin City, here is the address of where he is, I want you two to fill him in on what is going on and then I want you to bring him back. No arguments." Charles replied.   


***** 

"What do you want with me?" Rogue asked Mystique as she sat down in the chair. Rogue pulled at the chains that tied her down and kept her on the floor. Rogue's hair was in her face, and the tears made her skin feeling as if she was on fire. 

Magneto shook his head as he walked into the room. "Rogue, dear child, you still don't understand do you? Charles believes that humans and mutants can co-exist with one another, but see child that is where my old friend Charles is mistaken. Humans can't understand us, they don't want to understand us, they just want to get rid of us. They want to expose us, experiment us, point and laugh at us, well the joke is on them. Rogue, we can dominate humans, our fate can be theirs, we don't have to be the monsters they make us to be." Magneto replied, he walked over to Rogue and bent down in front of her, he brushed her hair out of her face. 

"You're a monster!" Rogue screamed. "Humans and mutants right now may not be able to stand united next to each other, but one day they will and we will prove you wrong. You say that humans are the villains, but what about what you did to Senator Kelly?" 

Magneto shook his head. "Sweet child, I was making Senator Kelly into one of us." 

"You killed him." Rogue spat out. 

"It's not my fault, he couldn't stand his mutation." Magneto said, shaking his head sadly. "Rogue, you were kicked out of your own home because your parents couldn't and wouldn't understand that you were a mutant, they suddenly stopped loving you. What does that say about humans?" Magneto asked, staring Rogue in the eyes. 

"That's different." Rogue choked. 

"No, not at all. The minute they found out that you were a mutant they were instantly disgusted with you and they even forced you to run away, because all they did was throw disgust at you. All humans are like that, and despite what Charles say, the world will never change, the world will never be a land of tolerance or fair judgment. Us mutants, are trapped in this world, why not make it our world? Why not make this world our own? Dear Rogue, there is a war coming ... join us." Magento said sternly. 

Rogue shook her head. "Never. You talk about this world belonging to mutants, but what mutants will be left to rule this world, if we keep on killing each other? What good does murder do us?" Rogue asked loudly. 

Magneto sighed. "It saves us. You and your friend Wolverine are born to kill. Your skin kills and his claws kill and yet you have the nerve to stand up to me, a person who is trying to show you a new world. I am trying to put together a new order of mutants, a new brotherhood, together the brotherhood can make this world safe for mutants to live in." 

"With you alive, no mutant is safe." Rogue replied. 

Magento shook his head. "So I am presuming that you will not be joining us?" 

"Never." Rogue said, shaking her head. 

"Then you will die." Magneto replied, walking off.   


***** 

Scott searched the bar, trying to find any trace of Logan. "How can a person breathe in here?" Scott asked as him and Storm pushed past some people to enter further through the bar. "This bar is completely seedy." Scott complained. 

Storm rolled her eyes. "What do you compare it with? Plus this is not a bar." Storm replied. "Excuse me sir, do you know where I can find a Wolverine?" Storm asked the bartender, with a smile on her face. 

Scott shook his head and turned to the bartender. "Well?" 

The bartender glanced at Scott, shaking his head. "Depends the animal or the man?" 

Scott chuckled. "He's both." 

Storm smiled. "The man." 

The bartender pointed to a steel cage. "Wolverine would be in there, he's the one winning. What kind of business do you have with the Wolverine? Whatever it is, I reckon you leave the man alone, he's not the friendliest of men you know." 

Scott turned around and stared at Logan beat a drunken man up. "It's personal. We need his help with somebody." 

Storm smiled at the bartender. "Thank you for your help." Storm turned to the cage. "He's good." 

"I didn't notice." Scott mumbled.   


Logan grunted as he watched the drunken fool who thought could actually win him fall to the ground; Logan smirked and turned to leave, but he froze when he saw no other then Scott, or visor boy as Logan liked to call him, and Storm staring at the cage. _What the hell? _Logan asked himself as he stepped out of the cage. Logan grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off his body, Logan avoided the usual cagefighting fans and stalked right up to Storm and Scott. "What the hell are you two doing here?" Logan asked. 

Scott adjusted his visor. "We came here for your help." Scott replied, dully. 

Storm nodded. "Please listen Logan, if it wasn't an emergency we wouldn't have come to you, but it's very important." 

Logan sighed. "Outside, we'll discuss this outside." Logan sighed once more and walked outside. 

Scott and Storm walked outside; Scott rubbed his hands together. "Believe me Logan, you are the last person I want to see, especially after you just left, leaving Rogue behind ... " Scott stopped when Logan growled, a very audible growl. 

"I thought you said this was an emergency, well right now I don't see no emergency, well except the fact that I'm two seconds away from ripping your throat out, so don't push me." Logan said, throwing Scott a menacing glare. 

"It's Rogue." Storm said. 

Logan turned to Storm quickly. "What about her? Is she okay?" Logan asked, worried. 

Scott sighed. "We're not sure. Mystique has kidnapped Rogue, and we just got the news that Magneto has escaped from the plastic prison he was confined to, which means that this kidnapping could be Magneto's plan." Scott replied. "Professor wants you to come back to the academy and help us get her back." Scott replied seriously. 

Logan's mind raced, Magneto and Mystique had Rogue? His Rogue? Oh no they didn't ... he was going to kill somebody. "Let's go." Logan started to walk towards his truck but stopped when Scott and Storm stared at him. "What?" Logan asked. 

"The jet." Storm said, pointing to a more updated and larger jet. "Let's go Logan, Scott." 

Scott crawled into the jet. "Coming Logan?" 

Logan stared at the jet. "Holy shit, seriously everytime I see you guys, you have more expensive travel gear."   



	3. Too Little, Too Late?

bonds3 ****Title: Bonds not to be broken   
****Author:Dannette   
****Rating:PG-14   
****Disclaimer: I do not own Rogue, Wolverine or any of the other X-Men characters, they belong to Fox.   
****Couple: _Marie/Rogue_ and _Logan/Wolverine_   
****Summary:Wolverine's bond with Rogue overcomes big obstacles.   


  


***** 

  


"I want to know how in the world could you let this happen!" Logan screamed as Storm, him and Scott made their way into the academy. "You guys should have been watching over her, you should have been thinking about the possibility that Magneto, Sabretooth or Mystique were going to come back. You were supposed to be protecting her ... " Logan was cut off by Scott. 

"No Logan, you were the one that was supposed to be protecting her, you were the one that promised to take care of her, and it's your fault this happened! You don't just promise a girl that you are going to take care of her and then leave and then don't even drop a line in damn near close to a whole year!" Scott screamed, his anger getting the best of him. 

Logan stopped walking and faced Scott. "I was trying to find out my past, trying to find out what who I am. Fifteen years of memory are down the drain and I did what I had to do to find out who I am, or where I belong in this world. And while I was gone, she was your responsibility and you guys were supposed to take care of her, and none of you did." Logan screamed back. 

Storm sighed, as she watched a heated argument between Logan and Scott start up, usually Storm would intervene in the conversation and try to stop the argument but Storm could already see that this was a fight that had been itching to come out. 

"Where you belong in this world? What your past is? What about her? What about where she belongs in this world? She thought she belonged with you, you let her get attached to you and then you just left! I was the one here for her the last year while you fought in stupid cage matches, and I won't let you come back here and hurt her all over again!" Scott replied, glaring. 

"Hey if I remember correctly, you asked me to come here, but like you said I was the one that promised to take care of Rogue and that is exactly what I plan on doing, something you bunch of X-Men couldn't do." Logan replied, gritting his teeth. 

"Oh believe me, it wasn't my idea to have you come here! Actually I was completely against it!" Scott said, in a low tone. "Actually if it was up to me, I would keep you the hell away from Rogue and Jean." Scott replied, glaring at Logan. 

Logan grinned. "What now, they're both your girls?"   


"Stop it you two!" Jean said, walking over to Logan, Storm and Scott. "Welcome back Logan, it's good to have you here, the professor is waiting for you. So if you two can stop competing with each other for one second, I'll lead the way to the professor's office, he's been trying to find Rogue using the cerebro." Jean replied, walking down the hall. 

Storm followed closely. "Has it worked?" Storm asked hopefully. 

"No." Jean said sadly. 

"Why not?" Scott asked. 

"Yeah, I thought he could find any mutant using the cerebro, well besides Magneto." Logan replied, walking as well. 

"Well somehow Magneto has found a way to keep Rogue out of range, we haven't been able to reach Rogue at all. I even tried connecting to her, but I wasn't able to do that either, Magento's hold on Rogue is incredibly strong. And we have reason to believe that Sabretooth is with them as well, as well as some very new mutants that have joined the brotherhood." Jean replied quickly. 

"Oh great." Scott replied. "Well I think we should at least split up the enemies --- just for planning sake. Logan, you basically would be better fighting against Sabretooth; You two are alike so you could predict his moves, but the thing is you both have healing powers, so it would be hard to kill each other, which is also a good thing. Except Sabretooth's healing ability is stronger then yours, when it takes at least a minute or close to it for you to heal, it takes Sabretooth about a few seconds, so you would have to be careful in fighting him. I think Storm has a better chance against --- " Scott was cut off by Logan. 

"Excuse me for interrupting your little train of thought, but I want Magneto." Logan replied huskily. 

Storm shook her head. "You are vulnerable against Magneto, considering the metal that is in your body, you are very vulnerable against Magneto. Actually our best bet is to all stick together, fight as a team." Storm replied. 

Jean nodded. "Yes, I have to agree with Storm on that one." 

Scott sighed and pushed open the door to the professor's office. "Professor, we're here, Logan too." Scott replied, walking into the room. Scott looked over his shoulder and shot a look towards Logan before turning back around and paying attention to Charles. 

The professor looked up and smiled. "Welcome back Logan. So I assume you heard what is going on." 

Logan nodded. "Yeah --- how do we get her back?" Logan asked, cutting to the point.   


***** 

Sabretooth looked down at Rogue, Sabretooth let out a small growl. "Do you talk?" Sabretooth asked, continuing to stare down at the seemingly small girl below him, he towered over her because of his tall height. "I don't get what Erik wants in you." 

Rogue trembled when she first heard Sabretooth's voice but then she forced herself to look up at the towering beast. "Occasionally, yes. I don't know why he wants me either, he thinks that humans and mutants can't co-exist with one another." Rogue replied. 

"They can't, but I don't see what it has to do with you." Sabretooth replied, still staring down at Rogue. 

"He's going to kill me, use me as an example. Humans and mutants right now may not be able to co-exist with one another and yes humans don't treat us fairly but what right does the unfair judgment that we have received give Magneto the right to kill other mutants? Why should we fight one another? You keep following Magneto down the road he is going down, all mutants will die, including you. Magneto doesn't care about you, he cares about this cause, and he'll kill you in a second to get what he needs. I won't believe in Magneto's cause, I won't join him in his fight and that is why I'm dying." Rogue replied, tears in her eyes. 

Sabretooth stared at Rogue, his head cocked to the side. "Death is just the beginning." Sabretooth replied. 

"No, it's the end." Rogue replied. "People die and that's it, there is nothing after that." Rogue replied. 

Sabretooth bent down next to Rogue. "You'll be the example, everyone will see that Erik's way is the best way, the right way. Erik is fighting for mutants, he's fighting to make a better place for us and your death will help us achieve what we want, and this time your friends can't stop us." Sabretooth replied; Sabretooth wrapped his paw around Rogue's neck. "Scream for pain." The material of the scarf Rogue was wearing kept from her skin touching his own. "Scream for pain Rogue." Sabretooth replied sadistically. 

Rogue struggled against the chains as she tried her best to scream but Sabretooth's hold around her neck was keeping her from breathing or even screaming. _'Logan help me' _Rogue said, hoping somehow, someway, wherever Logan was, he could hear her.   


***** 

_'Logan help me' _The voice had sounded so scared and helpless that it had almost knocked Logan on his ass; First it had reached his ear in a silent plea but then it echoed, getting louder each time. It took everything Logan had not to scream her name, he wanted to know she was okay; Logan groaned as he fell to the ground as Rogue's plea got louder, the louder it got the more it affected him. 

"Logan!" Jean screamed. 

Scott rushed over to where Logan was, Scott bent down and stared at Logan. "Logan, you okay?" Scott asked, actually worried about the welfare of Logan. "Logan?" Scott touched Logan on the shoulder, getting ready to feel Logan push him away but it never happened; Logan just sat on the floor, his eyes shut tightly, not answering anybody. 

Storm looked at Logan, a knowing look in her eyes. "Can you hear her? What is she saying?" Storm asked calmly. 

"Logan?" Jean asked, when Logan didn't say a word. 

"She connected with him." The professor replied. "I've done research, some studying on Rogue and Logan, and their bond is psychological, their minds seem to connect with one another's. They can talk to each other connecting their minds with one another, it also explains Rogue having Logan's nightmares, seeing into Logan's past. They reach each other on higher levels, that goes into the human brain, their minds can at times be one." The professor replied knowingly. 

Logan finally opened his eyes, Logan watched Scott inch away from him; Logan pushed himself weakly, but then he gained his composure. "I don't know what happened, but I could hear Rogue, she said Logan help me, I could feel her anguish, I think it was --" Logan thought for a second. "Sabretooth, he was hurting her." Logan replied, his eyes flaring with anger. 

Jean frowned. "What was he doing to her?" Jean asked. 

"Something about screaming --- " Logan said, his anger still not in control. 

"Scream for pain." Storm said, her voice in a low tone, but high enough for everyone to hear her. 

Logan turned to Storm. "Yeah, that is what he said to her --- how did you --- " Logan stumbled over his words, trying to stay calm, but the thought that Sabretooth could still be hurting Rogue, made his mind a jumbled mess. 

"I just know." Storm replied, she turned to the professor. "Professor we must hurry." Storm replied. 

Scott nodded. "Yes we do, but we need to realize that Rogue is not our only concern --- " Scott was cut off quickly by Logan. 

"Rogue is my only concern." Logan replied, before walking out of the room. "You geeks can stay back here and do all the planning you want to do, but it's getting us nowhere, and I actually want to save Rogue before they kill her." Logan screamed behind him.   


***** 

"Get off of her." Mystique said, pulling Sabretooth off of Rogue; Mystique watched Rogue cough, trying to get air in her lungs. Mystique turned to Sabretooth. "Stop playing around, we have a mission to do, the girl doesn't die quite yet, so stop playing with her. Or I'll make you scream, I'll make you feel pain that you couldn't even think of, even if you tried." Mystique replied menacingly. 

Sabretooth glared at Mystique, he let out a loud growl, before he stalked off. 

Mystique turned to Rogue. "Are you okay?" Mystique asked. "He tends to play with people too much, he seems to be fascinated with screaming." Mystique touched a white strand of Rogue's hair. "It fits you darling." Mystique replied softly. "You could have been something you know? Only if you would have joined us, you could have had everything. We could have showed you how to control your mutation and then you could have touched people without being afraid that you would kill them. But obviously your loyalties lay with Charles, or more like your loyalties lay with Logan." Mystique smirked. "I have no doubt that Logan will come for you, he cares too much not to. You're blessed to have a person to fight for you, but remember this, Logan will not walk out of here alive and neither shall you. You've chosen your side, and unfortunately for you --- it's the wrong side." Mystique replied, shaking her head. 

Rogue glared at Mystique, before pulling away. "Any side you are on, is bad and wrong. I won't let you hurt Logan, I won't let you touch him, I'll die for him." Rogue said, staring up at Mystique, a brave look on her face. "I'll die for Xavier's cause." 

Mystique smiled. "Yes you will." Mystique stared at Rogue. "You know what you remind me of? You remind me of the girl that was the sort of person you always remembered in school. You weren't exactly popular but you weren't unpopular, you were everything everybody wanted to be but couldn't be because they didn't understand what perfection meant. You're perfect Rogue, from your head to your toes, even to your deadly skin. You care about people more then you should, and your loyalty in people is what makes you different from everybody else, you have a goodness buried in you that can overcome evil, if you just believed in yourself. You're the girl I always wanted to be friends with, you're the girl who was always nice to me despite what I looked like, you made school just a tad bit easy to go to. But Rogue, darling, perfection must die, and you shall die and take perfection with you." Mystique replied. 

Rogue stared Mystique in the eyes. "And you're the type of person that dies alone." Rogue spat out. "'Cause you kill everything that you envy because you can't stand not being perfect. You're the sort of person that made me afraid to go to school as a child." 

Mystique stared at Rogue as she heard the same words she had once said to Senator Kelly escape Rogue's mouth. "I may be what you say I am, but I will be the one laughing when Logan holds you in his arms and realizes that nothing can be done to bring you back. My whole life I wanted to destroy perfection and tonight I will --- now shut up before I get Sabretooth." Mystique replied; Mystique shook her head and walked away from Rogue, before she did something that couldn't be taken back.   


***** 

"Logan," Storm started, following Logan. "Please, you know you can't do this alone." Storm replied, she let out a sigh of relief when Logan stopped walking, and turned around and faced her; Logan's eyes were soft and focused on her. "Logan?" Storm questioned. 

Logan sighed. "Didn't we already have this conversation a year ago?" Logan let out a chuckle. "It was my responsibility to take care of her and I left, I left her alone and now they have her, and all I can think about is that I let her down. Rogue trusted me to protect her, she trusted me to save her, to be there with her and for her, and I did none of that. I just walked out, because I was afraid, afraid of what she meant to me --- I've never felt human emotions before, it's always been about being closed off and feeling nothing but the coldness in me, but something changed, I need her." Logan confessed. 

Storm smiled. "Nothing matters except that you are here now." 

"But it might be too late." Logan replied. 

"Nothing is too late." Storm replied, with a wise tone in her voice. "You came back, you didn't have to, but you did. Because you care about her Logan, you make the fact that you care about Rogue seem like a horrible thing but it's not, it's perfectly normal. We all need someone, we all love someone, and for you it just happens to be Rogue. Rogue is a beautiful young woman and she isn't afraid of you, she cares about you, and she needs you as well, and I pretty much think she loves you too." Storm said, smiling. 

Logan sighed. "I can't do this alone." 

"Then let us help you." Storm replied. "We can rescue Rogue, if we all work together, there is no I in team as you may know. Together, we won't let Rogue die, we can't. She's a friend of mine and I'll do everything in my power to rescue her, because she's a friend and family and you never let down your family and friends." Storm replied, walking up the stairs that led back to the professor's office. "Coming, Logan?" Storm asked, staring back at Logan. "Please." Storm said simply. 

Logan nodded and walked up the stairs. "So this means I have to work with visor boy? Oh how great." Logan mumbled.   


***** 

"He has a mansion, that must be where the brotherhood stays, and that must be where Erik has Rogue." The professor explained. "Here is a map of where the mansion is, I'm going to leave it up to you four, to find a way in. Be careful my children, my thoughts will be with you." The professor replied, he smiled at Logan. "Let your heart lead you my children." 

Logan shot the professor a half smile. "Let's go." Logan replied, he walked out with Scott, Jean and Storm shortly behind him. "We shouldn't take the jet, it's too much trouble, we take the vehicles, less trouble." Logan grabbed the map from Jean. "Once we get inside, we split up momentarily; Like Scott said ... I'll take on Sabretooth, Storm you take on Mystique, Scott, Jean you two take out whoever there is, but leave Magneto until the end, he might be too strong for just you two." Logan replied. 

Scott nodded. "Good plan Logan." 

Jean smiled. "You two getting along? It's a miracle." Jean replied. 

Storm smiled. "Okay Scott you ride with me and Jean, let Logan take your motorcycle." Storm replied, walking over to the shiny red SUV that had the X-Men plates on the back of the car. "Scott, we don't have time." Storm replied as she got in the car. 

Scott sighed and slapped Logan on the back. "See you there." Scott replied, walking over to Jean, Scott nodded at Logan before both him and Jean got in the car. "Let's go, we don't have a lot of time, we've taken enough time already." Scott replied. 

Logan hopped on Scott's motorcycle, he started it up, Logan watched the red SUV take off; With a shake of his head Logan sped out of the garage. Logan pushed the high-speed button and whizzed past the red SUV. Logan kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was on Rogue, god he hoped they hadn't done anything to her yet. _You would have felt it, _Logan reminded himself, as he turned a corner. _You would have felt her, _Logan mused silently. Logan wished he was one of those people who could stay normal under any circumstances, like Storm. Storm had the uncanny ability to stay calm under any situation, Logan wished he could be like that, but he wasn't the calm type of person, all that Logan could think about was that Rogue was being held captive by Magneto, Mystique and Sabretooth. _I swear if that overgrown lion pup touches Marie ... _Logan stopped his thoughts when he realized he called Rogue Marie, Logan sighed. _Please be alright. _Logan said to himself, as he saw the brotherhood's mansion come into view.   


Scott pulled the car off to the side, he turned it off and hopped out of the car and headed over to where Logan was, Logan was staring at the mansion as if he had never seen such a thing before. "Hey, you okay?" Scott asked, staring at Logan. 

"No." Logan snapped, but not in a cruel way. "In that mansion holds the one thing I care about. That's what I found out Scott, I don't care about my past. It's over with, but she --- Rogue, is my present and hopefully my future and she's in there and I have way too much to lose, I should have never left." Logan replied. "I should have stayed, like she wanted me to." 

"People make mistakes." Jean replied, standing next to Scott. "But you can reverse this one before it gets too messy." 

Storm stood next to Logan. "Logan, life is full of choices, choices that we have to make, and yeah some choices change everything. You made a choice a year ago, you let Marie into your life, and now you can't let her go, you have to fix this Logan, and we'll be with you all the way. Despite that you said you would never be an X-Man, we think of you as one of the team." Storm replied, smiling. 

Jean nodded. "Completely Logan." Jean said, smiling widely. 

Scott scoffed when he saw Jean smiling widely at Logan, but he hid the glare that was on his face. Right now wasn't about how Jean always seemed to _have _to smile at Logan, right now was about saving Rogue, right now Scott would put his insecurities behind him. Scott looked up when he felt Storm's touch on his arm. "Well let's get going guys." Scott said, he glanced over at Storm and smiled at her. Scott looked into Storm's eyes and saw the silent question she was asking, he nodded, answering just as silent. 

Storm smiled when she saw Scott nodding at her; Storm would be lying if she said she didn't see the way Jean would look at Logan, and Storm knew how it made Scott feel, it made him feel insecure, and Storm would try her best to ask Scott if he was okay. "Scott, is right, we must be getting in there, let's try to find a back way in, we should make this quiet as possible and if ... " 

"We can't, we do it my way." Logan said gruffly. "And my way, ain't always the best way."   


***** 

Rogue struggled against the chains, they were beginning to make her skin raw, but Rogue didn't care how much it hurt, all she wanted to do was get out of here; Rogue stopped struggling when she saw Magneto walk into the room, his cape flowing behind him, Rogue looked up at the helmet Magneto was wearing. "You look like a buckethead with that stupid helmet on, I hope you know." 

Magneto stared at Rogue, Magneto's lips were pursed together, he let out a small chuckle followed by a grin. "Well my dear, you definitely do have a bit of Wolverine's traits, do you not? Mystique told me that you had Wolverine's traits but I didn't believe it until now, you certainly aren't the little timid mouse you were once, are you?" Magneto asked, walking closer to Rogue. 

Rogue began to struggle against the chains. "You're going to die." Rogue said in a hushed tone, Rogue's eyes were full of fear but her voice told a different tale; Rogue stared right into Magneto's eyes, not backing away. "And the brotherhood will die with you." 

Magneto laughed. "Oh my child, you even have some of Charles in you. Charles was always the optimistic one, he always thought that if somebody tried hard enough, they could do anything. Charles is still like that and I can see that he has you fooled into believing his cause, too bad my child, you could have been so great with the brotherhood." Magneto replied, shaking his head. 

"I'm not your child." Rogue spat out. "I'm not a kid!" Rogue screamed. 

Magneto shook his head again. "On the outside you may look like one, but inside you aren't a child. You're right Rogue, you are not a child, your innocence was taken away from you the minute you learned of your mutation, and your family didn't help you. Your parents disowned you, what does that say about Charles' cause? Where is Charles? If he honestly cared him and his X-Men would be here, but no ... you will be the one dying alone ... alone and never loved." Magneto replied, he used his power to lift up Rogue. 

Rogue turned away when Magneto brushed his gloved hand across her cheek. "I'm more loved, then you could ever be." 

Magneto stared at Rogue, his eyes were soft and sad for a moment. "I've known too many mutants like you, they think they can change the world, they think if they believe in the cause, that they can make it work, they think that they can make the world tolerant and good and safe for mutants like us to live in. But see Rogue, those mutants waste their time trying to make things be right, why be right when you can be powerful? Who cares about honesty and justification?" Magneto asked. 

"Obviously not you." Rogue said, staring at Magneto. "And believe me, I'm nothing like you. I am nowhere near like you, because you are a cold person who grew up lonely and scared and now you want to take it out on the rest of this world." Rogue stated. 

"And what gives you the right to think you now me so well child?" Magneto asked, smirking. 

Rogue cocked her head to the side, she brought her hand up which were still chained down, she tapped the side of her head with her gloved hand. "You're in here, I can see all your memories, all your pain, all your fear. You were taken from your own family and you never felt love, and now you want to make sure no one else is happy with their lives ... you know what they say." 

"No, what do they say?" Magneto asked, suddenly more intrigued with Rogue, then he had ever been. 

"Misery loves company, and you my old friend are the most miserable person on this planet." Rogue said, a frown on her face. 

"Old friend?" Magneto questioned. "Oh Charles, what a surprise to talk to you. You were able to get a hold of the girl's mind I see? You never cease to amaze me Charles, what are you thinking Charles? I'm about to kill one of your precious mutants, any last thoughts for the pathetic girl? She is too much like you Charles, she believes that humans and mutants can one day co-exist, you taught her so well Charles, but all your lessons you gave Rogue, have been a lie." Magneto spat out, venom lacing his words. 

Rogue shook her head. "Oh Erik, old friend, why must you think so negatively? Rogue is a very strong girl and she will in the end triumph over you, because Rogue is not alone ... " Rogue blinked her eyes when she felt the hold the professor had on her disappear. "Please don't." Rogue said, as she felt the chains being dropped to the ground. Rogue rubbed her hands, she went to take off her glove, but stopped when Magneto grabbed her by the throat. "Don't." Rogue was able to choke out. 

Magneto lifted Rogue up in the air, as high as he could, his gloves were able to protect him from Rogue's skin. "Say goodbye."   


***** 

Logan jumped through the window, the glass going everywhere; Logan looked behind him at Scott and shrugged. "Sorry, got a bit anxious." Logan turned around to be presented with the presence of various mutants, two of them Logan automatically recognized were Sabretooth and Mystique. "Oh honey, you shouldn't have." Logan said, lunging towards Sabretooth. 

Sabretooth brought up his foot and threw Logan over his head, Sabretooth growled when he watched Logan flip over and land on his feet gracefully; Sabretooth narrowed his eyes when he saw Logan brought out his claws. "You won't win this time." 

Logan smirked. "Haven't you heard? The good guys always win, it's in the rule book. Heroes always win, villains always die." 

Sabretooth lunged towards Logan, he grabbed Logan by the throat, crushing the breath out of him. "Not always." Sabretooth threw Logan against the wall. "Once in a while the hero dies, or in this case, the heroine." Sabretooth replied, as he heard a scream come from the other side of the mansion, which he easily recognized was Rogue's. "She's going to die." Sabretooth said grinning. 

Logan growled out in pain, he looked up when he heard Rogue scream; Logan's eyes darkened with anger. "Now you made me mad." Logan replied, using his claws to slash Sabretooth across the face; Logan grinned. 

Sabretooth shook his head as the slash marks healed. "I heal." Sabretooth replied. 

Logan lunged forward and stabbed Sabretooth in the chest with his claws. "But that distracts you." Logan screamed, getting up.   


Storm levitated herself in the air, she lifted her head up. "Let him go." Storm said to Mystique who had a hold of Scott. Storm's eyes slowly turned white, there was a faint sound of thunder in the background. "Okay, I warned you." Storm replied, when Mystique continued to attack Scott and Jean at the same time. "You guys never learn." Storm said, shaking her head. 

Scott smiled at Mystique. "There's a storm coming." Scott muttered, he fell to the ground once a flash of lightening entered the room, followed by thunder; The thunder hit Mystique sending her flying across the room. "Thanks Storm." Scott said. 

Storm floated down to the ground, she walked over to Scott and brought her hand out to help him up. "No problem Scott." 

Scott allowed Storm to pulled him up; Scott saw two mutants behind Storm. "Duck." Once Storm ducked down, Scott adjusted his visor and a laser beam came out of the visor hitting the two mutants, sending them flying, the two of them flew through the window. 

"Now I think it is my turn to thank you." Storm said, pushing herself up. "Thank you." Storm replied, smiling.   


Jean stepped over a unknown mutant's body, Jean tensed up when she saw Magneto holding Rogue up in the air; Jean brought her hand up and used her power to lift Magneto up in the air, taking the more powerful man by surprise. Jean looked to the side where Rogue had fall down to the ground, Jean shook her head and used her power to levitate Magneto in the air. 

Magneto let out a loud, husky laugh. "Silly girl, your power is nowhere near the extent of mine." Magneto used his power to throw Jean to the side. Magneto jumped to the ground, he shook his head and lifted Jean up with his power, he floated Jean over to him. "See that is where Charles makes his mistake, if you were one of my students, I would have taught you how to use your power to the extent to bodily harm, but oh no, Charles teaches you not to hurt people with your power, just distract them." 

"Jean!" Rogue screamed; Rogue pushed herself up and charged at Magneto, she went to hit him but stopped in her tracks when she saw Sabretooth in front of her. Rogue looked up at Jean and then back where Sabretooth was. "Stop it!" Rogue screamed. 

Jean let her eyes glance down to Rogue who was being approached by Sabretooth. "No stop! She's just a girl!" Jean screamed. 

Magneto went to answer Jean's scream but fell to the ground once he was pummeled by Logan. "Oh if it isn't my clawed foe, I thought you would never show up." Magneto went to say more but screamed in pain as Logan's claws slashed him across the face. 

"Are you okay?" Logan asked, turning his back to Magneto, Logan stared at Jean who nodded weakly. 

"Logan!" Jean screamed, once she saw Magneto lunging towards Logan. "Watch out!" Jean screamed again. 

Magneto used his power to throw Logan through a mirror that was hanging on the wall. "See Logan, you just don't understand. My cause is the right one, we could make this world ours, who cares about the humans? There is a war coming, and you and Charles and all the rest of the X-Men don't seem to realize that my side is the side to be on. I'm doing this to save mutants from being erased by humans, they want to destroy us Logan, and by choosing the X-Men, you're letting humanity win." Magneto kicked Logan in the face; Magneto grabbed Logan by the throat. "Why risk everything for just one girl?" Magneto asked, his eyes flaring.   


Scott and Storm went to run over to help Logan and Jean but Storm was thrown through a window by a suddenly regenerated Mystique. Mystique watched Storm scream out in pain as a piece of glass sliced through her body, luckily for Storm it wasn't bad enough to kill her, but strong enough to keep her injured. Scott turned around when he heard Storm scream, Scott's eyes flared. 

"Storm!" Scott screamed, he went to climb out of the window to help Storm but was picked up by Mystique. 

"All of you will die, you all will be the examples." Mystique replied. "No one can stop us, no one can stop Erik. You all made a mistake by coming here, by risking everything you had to save the pathetic girl, all she had to do was join us and everything would have been alright. We could have taught her how to control her mutation, we could have showed her so much more then Charles ever could, I only had good intentions for Rogue. I watched her for months and I became intrigued by her, she was such an interesting subject, everything about her amazed me. She was always the sort of person I always wanted to be like, she was perfect, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, she would join us and I could have my own little world of perfection, she would be my friend, we could destroy all of you, and I could have a friend. But she believed all the fake words of sentiment and foolish advise Charles gave her, and now you see why she has to die! Perfection, if it can't be me or be my friend, then it has to die." Mystique said hauntingly. 

Scott struggled against Mystique. "You'll never be perfect, because everytime you look in the mirror, _Raven, _you'll see your image and the mirror will break, because beauty only exists inside of us, and you're ugly inside because you followed a man who had never been loved. You'll never win Mystique, Erik will never win, because the world can change, but people like you and Erik can't. Xavier has taught me everything, he has loved every one of his students, he calls us his children, but you followed a man who never knew how it was to love, because he grew up alone and you know one is the loneliest number. Erik wanted someone else to follow his example so he got you, and now you two will die with the crimes you have committed!" Scott screamed. 

"And what crimes are those Cyclops? The crime of wanting to live in a world that is not ashamed of us?" Mystique questioned. 

"No the crime of never knowing how it is to be loved! Or cared about! You were right about one thing, we all came here to save Rogue, because we care about her! People care and love Rogue and that is why you hate her, that is why you want to destroy her, because you know that there is no one that can feel that way about you or Erik, and you hate that feeling." Scott replied coldly. 

Mystique's eyes flared. "You shouldn't insult the person that holds your life in her hands." With that said Mystique threw Scott out the window, the pieces of glass cut his cheek, Scott screamed when glass pierced his body just as it did Storm's.   


Mystique grinned as she watched both Storm and Scott writhe in pain, Mystique turned around and transformed into Scott. "Jean!" Mystique screamed, disguised as Scott. "Jean! Oh god, are you okay?" Scott ran up to Jean and hugged her. 

Jean hugged Scott back. "Scott, we have to help Lo --- " Before Jean could finish her statement, she felt Scott's hand being wrapped around her throat. "Scott, what in the world are you doing?" Jean managed to choke out. 

Scott grinned. "Oh darling, I think I've had enough of you." Scott threw Jean across the room, Mystique changed back into her regular form once she saw Jean land against the wall, she watched Jean slump to the floor, unconscious. "Who said love was all roses and candy?" Mystique said to herself, laughing, she walked over to Magneto and looked into Logan's eyes; Mystique frowned for a second when she saw the look in his eyes ... _he truly loves the girl, _Mystique thought to herself. 

Magneto threw Logan against the wall, his hand still tightened around Logan's throat. "Sabretooth!" Magneto screamed. "Bring Rogue to me, now." Magneto grinned at Logan. "Let's see how tough the wolverine really is." Magneto replied. 

Logan struggled against Magneto. "Listen buckethead --- " Logan was cut off by Magneto. 

"No you listen Logan, I'm about to test the strength of your heart." Magneto brought up his free hand and two metal spikes floated over to where Magneto and Logan were. "See Logan, your heart can be the most fragile thing you can have, but then it can also be the most powerful thing you can have, which one will it be Logan? Powerful or fragile? How much do you care for the girl?" Magneto asked, he let go of Logan but before Logan could fall to the ground, Magneto directed the spikes at Logan. The two metal spikes flew at Logan, one piercing one side of Logan's shirt and the other piercing the other, the two metal spikes holding Logan up to the wall.   


"Logan!" Rogue screamed when she saw what Magneto was doing to Logan. "Stop it!" Rogue screamed; Rogue pushed Sabretooth to the ground when he tried to grab her. Rogue ran past Mystique and ran all the way up to Logan. "Logan!" 

Logan struggled against the metal spikes. "Rogue, no! Get out of here!" Logan screamed. "Stay away from her Simba, or I'll make sure you can never walk again, healing ability or not." Logan's eyes flashed dangerously. 

Magneto grinned. "Get her Sabretooth, hope you enjoy this lesson Logan." Magneto replied, watching Sabretooth walk up to Rogue. 

Sabretooth brushed past Mystique, Sabretooth cocked his head to the side before grabbing Rogue from behind. "You still owe me a scream." Sabretooth snarled out as he tightened his grip on Rogue. Sabretooth took a piece of Rogue's hair and sniffed it, he grinned and looked at Logan. "You got yourself a cute girl here, I'm going to enjoy killing her." Sabretooth growled out. 

Logan let out a loud rumble, that vibrated at the back of his throat. "You really don't want to do that." Logan replied, pulling at his throat. "Damnit where are you guys?" Logan screamed, his tone laced in desperation and anger. 

"They're gone Logan, they broke a promise, they promised to help you, and they broke it; Like you broke the promise you made to Rogue. Promises are meant to be broken Logan, that's why I never make them. People are meant to die, and that is why I don't get attached, but tell me this if you were so damn loyal and you cared so much about Rogue, why did you leave? Why would you leave someone who needed you more then life itself? She trusted you, and you were afraid and you walked out, and broke that already fragile heart of hers. How does it feel Logan? How does it feel being responsible for someone else's pain?" Magneto asked. 

Logan froze, his eyes glazed over in an unreadable state. "Please, don't hurt her." Logan asked, his voice actually in a pleading tone. "Because if you do --- " Logan finally let his eyes glaze over in anger. "I'll kill you." Logan spat out. 

"Do it Sabretooth." Magneto said, waving his hand in the air. 

"Loga --- " Rogue's voice was cut short when an unbearable pain went throughout her whole body, Rogue slumped backwards as Sabretooth withdrew his claws from her back; Sabretooth let Rogue fall to the ground. 

Mystique looked down at the fallen Rogue, Mystique stared at the blood forming the huge stab wound Sabretooth had made in Rogue's back; Mystique cocked her head to the side. "Perfection is gone." Mystique mumbled as her and Sabretooth walked out of the mansion, they walked over to the jet Magneto had, just waiting for their escape. "Erik better hurry." Mystique replied, as she stepped into the jet. She turned the jet on, she watched Sabretooth get settled in. "Good job."   


Logan widened his eyes, tears pricking them. "You bastard." Logan muttered, he thrashed at the spikes. "You god damn bastard." 

Magneto shook his head. "I'm sorry Logan, but I had to do it, some things are just too precious to live in this world, and Rogue was one of them. You'll look back on this day and realize you chose the wrong side, because if you and Rogue had been on our side, that would have never happened to her, sometimes the heart just isn't strong enough. Love is for saps Logan, love isn't what people say it is, love doesn't heal you, it kills you --- it killed Rogue." Magneto looked down at Rogue, then shook his head. "But the passion you have for her is undeniable and I would never want to make you give that up. Because --- Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping... ...waiting... And though unwanted... ...unbidden... it will stir... ...open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank... Without passion, we'd be truly dead." With that said Magneto stepped over Rogue's body and climbed out the window, he waved his hand and let the spikes fall, Magneto then walked over to the jet and climbed in. "Go." Magneto said to Mystique.   


Logan fell to the ground, he crawled over to Rogue, he stared down at the blood before turning Rogue over, he held Rogue in his arms. "Rogue? Marie? Oh god --- " Logan cradled Rogue in his arms. _Let her drain you, _the voice inside Logan's head screamed; Logan nodded, he took off his glove and brought his hand to her face, like he had done all those months ago on top of the statue of liberty. Logan waited for a response but nothing happened; Logan took in a deep breath remembering it took a while last time, but Rogue felt so much colder then she had last time, there was a feeling at the bottom of Logan's heart, but he didn't want to believe the feeling, he didn't want to believe that Rogue wasn't going to wake up from this, he didn't want to believe any of it. "Please Rogue, wake up." Logan's voice cracked with emotion. "I'll never leave again, I swear." Logan said, in a hushed tone. 

"L-Logan?" Jean's voice came from behind him. 

"Sabretooth got her." Logan replied. "She's not responding, why ain't she responding?" Logan said, his back turned to Jean. 

"Where are Scott and Storm?" Jean asked, her eyes at the limp Rogue in Logan's arms. "Are they --- " Jean couldn't finish the sentence, just the thought of her two oldest friends, and not to mention boyfriend dead broke her heart; Jean looked back at Rogue, she looked up at Logan and nearly sobbed to death at the look on his face, his eyes were concentrated on Rogue, as he desperately tried to make her wake up, so she would drain him, so she would heal, but Rogue wasn't moving. 

"I-I don't know." Logan said quietly; Logan looked up when he heard rustling. "I guess not." Logan replied, when he saw Scott limping in, Storm was holding on to him, using Scott as support, Logan could smell the strong scent of blood coming from both of them. Logan sighed and went back to touching Rogue's face. "Come on darlin', wake up, for me? Come on." Logan mumbled. 

"They're gone." Scott said, stumbling over to where Logan, Rogue and Jean were. "I tried to stop them, but I couldn't --- " Scott stopped when he saw that Rogue was motionless in Logan's arms. "Oh god, tell me --- is she --- Logan?" Scott's voice was breaking at every little thing he said, he couldn't even form coherent sentences, it was embarrassing. "Logan is Rogue, okay?" Scott asked. 

Storm looked at Rogue. "We failed." Storm said in a low tone. "We lost her." Storm stated, trying to hold back tears. 

"No!" Logan growled out. "Rogue, she's not dead! She's not! It just takes a while, just hold on, she's okay, Rogue's not dead." Logan replied, his heart beating wildly, he began to push Rogue a bit. "Come on kid, wake up, come on kid." Logan said in a hushed voice. 

Jean frowned. "Logan, it's over." Jean touched Logan's shoulder. 

"No!" Logan screamed. 

Scott bent down and took Rogue's hand, Scott heard the growl coming from Logan, but ignored it. "I'm just checking something, I'm not going to hurt her." Scott reassured Logan; Scott took off Rogue's glove and checked her pulse, Scott withdrew his hand quickly. "I felt it." Scott replied, with a look of relief but shock in his eyes at the same time. "I felt it." Scott repeated. 

"Felt what?" Storm asked. 

"The pull. It was very faint, I could hardly feel it at first, but then I felt it, she's alive, we got to get her back the academy now! We need to get her to the medlab as fast as we can, the faster we are, the more chance we have to save Rogue."   



End file.
